Obama Helped ISIS in Syria, Now Fights It in Iraq

As the Obama administration goes to war in Iraq again — without calling the action a war or even securing permission from Congress, as the Constitution requires — the crucial role played by the U.S. government and its allies in creating and empowering the threat is once again being overlooked. From sending weapons and providing training to the same jihadists in Syria who later crossed into Iraq, to tacitly endorsing the bankrolling of Islamic terror groups by supposed American allies, U.S. foreign policy has been critical in the emergence of the monstrously barbaric self-styled Islamic State “caliphate” formerly known as ISIS.

Now, under the guise of fighting the threat it helped create, the administration is again putting American lives and treasure at risk in violation of the Constitution. The aerial bombing campaigns have already started, supposedly aimed at halting the advance of the Islamic State and its efforts to massacre minorities such as Christians, Yazidis, and others. Despite Obama’s repeated promises of no “boots on the ground,” U.S. Special Forces were reportedly operating in northern Iraq this week as well.

Like so many of the supposed “threats” to U.S. “national security” in recent decades, however, the barbarity engulfing the region has its roots in Washington — as more than a few high-profile voices have pointed out. “The Iraq war strengthened Iran’s influence in Iraq and throughout the Middle East. Sunni extremists backed by Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar have filled the vacuum,” explained Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) in a recent column. “The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has taken over the cities of Mosul, Tikrit and is on the march to Baghdad.”

Worse still, according to Jordanian security officials cited by WND journalist Aaron Klein, the U.S. government actually trained some of those very same jihadists at a secret base in Jordan. “The officials said dozens of future ISIS members were trained at the time as part of covert aid to the insurgents targeting the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Syria,” Klein reported. “The Jordanian officials said all ISIS members who received U.S. training to fight in Syria were first vetted for any links to extremist groups like al-Qaida.”

Sen. Paul has also highlighted the troubling U.S. government role in the making of the Islamic State. “This administration, through bad decision-making that I specifically warned against, has already indirectly aided al Qaeda and ISIS in Syria — the very group some now propose to counter with U.S. troops,” he wrote, citing previous warnings about arming, funding, and training jihadist rebels in Syria. While neocons and Democrats were demanding more aid to the Islamists, Paul chastised them for supporting al-Qaeda. In retrospect, the warnings proved to be a troubling foreshadowing of what was to come.

Now, the same out-of-control politicians and officials responsible for the mess are demanding even more U.S. interventionism to supposedly deal with the problem. “For the small group calling for boots on the ground — how can we ask our brave men and women to risk their lives for a country the Iraqis aren’t willing to fight for themselves?” he asked. “Iraqi soldiers are stripping off their uniforms and fleeing this fight. We shouldn’t ask our soldiers to put their uniforms on to take their places.”

In a stunning example of irony and Orwellian doublethink, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also blamed Obama’s foreign policy for the rise of ISIS. However, instead of identifying the unconstitutional meddling and support for regime-change jihad as the culprits, Clinton claimed the administration was to blame for not offering even more support to the “Syrian rebels.” She said that “left a big vacuum, which the jihadists have now filled.”

Of course, the Obama administration is not the only force responsible for the current bloodshed — numerous supposed U.S. allies are also deeply involved. Former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who was ousted from power this week amid pressure from the Obama administration, has been among the high-profile voices pointing at the Sunni autocracies ruling Qatar and Saudi Arabia for their role in supporting ISIS and other Islamic terrorists butchering their way across the region.

“I accuse them of inciting and encouraging the terrorist movements,” Maliki, a Shia, said in an interview with French television earlier this year. “I accuse them of supporting them politically and in the media, of supporting them with money and by buying weapons for them. I accuse them of leading an open war against the Iraqi government. I accuse them of openly hosting leaders of al Qaeda and Takfirists [extremists)].”

In Iraq, to examine just one instance, the ancient Christian communities there were thriving until the U.S. invasion and occupation began in 2003. Since then, the population of Christians has plummeted from an estimated 1.5 million to some 200,000 today. More than a few analysts and experts expect Christianity to be non-existent in the area if trends continue. The decimation and ethnic cleansing of Iraqi Christians was a direct result of U.S. foreign policy, and the Bush administration was warned in advance of precisely such an outcome.

The last thing the world needs right now is for the Obama administration to launch more unconstitutional wars wherever and whenever he and his backers feels like it — whether that be in Iraq, Syria, or any other place. If Congress feels that intervention is necessary, after an open debate, it can declare war or issue a letter of marque and reprisal to permit the targeting of non-state actors such as ISIS. As numerous lawmakers have pointed out, though, the president has no constitutional authority to launch attacks without congressional authorization. The results of such lawless and anti-constitutional scheming are clear: See Libya.

Americans as individuals and communities can and should do what they can to support the victims of U.S. foreign policy around the world — in this case, the innocent people of northern Iraq. Perhaps charities could even hire private military contractors or security firms to protect endangered innocents and minorities in the region. Congress, though, must restrain the Obama administration before it unleashes even more death, destruction, and mayhem on the world.

Photo of protestors calling for Obama to intervene in Iraq: AP Images

Alex Newman, a foreign correspondent for The New American, is currently based in Europe. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow him on Twitter @ALEXNEWMAN_JOU.

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